Chapter 4 – Good morning starshine!

"Get up, lovebirds!" yelled Daisy, yanking the covers off our bed with apparently too much topspin. Annabeth went flying off the bed with an indignant "Woah!"

"Five more minutes," I grumbled. Daisy grabbed Annabeth's copy of 'Jane Eyre' off the bedside table and started smacking me in the top of my head. I figured wielding a hairdryer took more upper-body power than anyone had thought because it hurt a lot more than it should have.

"Get..."

"OW!"

"...up..."

"OW!"

"...you..."

"OW!"

"...lazy..."

"OW!"

"...retard!" Thank the gods Annabeth chose then to recover her precious book and check it over for damage. My head was probably craterous by now, but at least Jane was OK. Daisy blew un-plaited strand of hair out of her face and crossed her arms over her chest.

"We're having a war/wedding council in ten minutes in the rec. room. If you're not there, I'm getting married" she announced.

"Can we at least stop for breakfast?" I asked, deftly catching the striped shirt Annabeth threw me.

"No time. I'll get you a croissant. Hurry up. Nice boxers, by the way" she said, smirking and sauntering out the door. Continuing to change, I grinned over at Annabeth.

"You'll be ironing these boxers for all time, Mrs. Seaweed Brain! Are you nervous? Scared?"

"I've single-handedly destroyed entire packs of hellhounds and turned the fearsomest furies to flour sacks. Lime green boxers are cute at best," she retorted, swinging her long blonde hair up into a messy ponytail and throwing on an oversized hoodie. "Come on," she said, grinning slyly, "let's go stare at dessert-coloured taffeta swatches!" I groaned, but I wasn't really mad. As I let her pull me to my almost certain doom-by-taffeta, I couldn't help smiling. What did it matter what brand the potpourri was?

I was marrying the girl of my dreams.

~*~

I whistled happily, swinging my arms as I walked back to the big house. Apparently no one expected me to concentrate during these things and Daisy and her gorgeous groupies accepted my confused and listless nodding as 'normal guy behaviour'. Annabeth had gone on ahead to IM Thalia and ask if she would be maid of honour.

I entered our room so quietly Annabeth didn't hear me. She appeared to be mid-conversation with Thalia's floating head. From Thalia's guilty frown and Annabeth's stiff posture, I gathered her reaction had been lukewarm.

"He could be the greatest guy on Earth, Annabeth. Heck, he probably is! It doesn't change how I feel about marriage. I am fairly certain you are wasting your life and wasting your time".

"So you're not coming?" she asked, deep hurt in her voice and eyes. Thalia sighed.

"Psycho Barbie probably invited all the Gods, right? My Lady sometimes brings us to these things (you know, weddings) to remind us of what we stand for. We're basically the anti-Hera squad. Maybe... I don't know, maybe I could recommend this as a particular waste of maidenhood or something. And I guess if I was in the ceremony... you know... it wouldn't be so disgraceful" said Thalia.

"Thank you," smiled Annabeth, though she was crying for real now. "You really don't know how much this means to me. You'll need to come a couple of days before for fittings, OK? I love you, Thals".

"Love you too baby," said Thalia, nodding. She looked up at me and I realised she must have known I was there the whole time. "You take good care of my baby!" And with that, she sliced through the image and broke the connection.

I stepped forward to Annabeth and she nestled her head into my shoulder, trying to staunch the steady flow of tears.

"I just... thought..." she sobbed "she'd be more... supportive..."

"Shhh," I whispered, holding her round the waist and swaying her from side to side "it's OK. I'll take good care of you. My baby.

My baby sparkle and shine,
Sparkle and shine, sparkle and shine.
My baby sparkle and shine
And I can't believe she's mine."